The Right Regrets
by LarielRomeniel
Summary: Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." - Arthur Miller. Speculation for Legends Episode 3x04 and for the 2017 Arrowverse crossover.
1. Prologue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is based on a wild theory that popped up in my head after seeing some of the plot synopses, sizzle reels and behind the scenes photos for this season of Legends and the 2017 crossover.

Thanks to Dragonydreams and Jael for encouraging me to move forward, and as always, to Jael for the beta!

* * *

A writer has the empty page

Where he can set the scene

He puts the actors on the stage

Or on the movie screen

The characters all say the words

The writer wants to hear

And then, my friend

A happy end

-The Right Regrets, _Smash_

* * *

 _October 31, 1988_

Sidney pushed up his Darth Vader mask, blinked and shook his head in confusion. What was he doing out here in the woods after dark? On a _school_ _night?_

His parents were going to kill him.

He took a step and nearly tripped over something. Looking down, he recoiled in fear. What was Ray doing on the ground, sprawled next to his bike?

Sidney dropped to his knees to shake his twin. "Ray? Ray? Please don't be dead." His voice became shrill when Ray didn't answer. " _Please don't be dead!"_

"Relax, kid," a man's voice rumbled in the darkness. "He ain't dead. Just sleeping it off."

Sidney peered nervously at the tall figure emerging from the trees into the light of the nearly full moon. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled. "No one you need to worry about."

He squatted down in front of the boys, a big man with a shaved head, wearing an army jacket. He looked down at Ray and shook his head. "Figures the neuralyzer would knock you out," he muttered.

Sidney's habitual derision won out over his fears. "My brother's a wuss."

The stranger's head jerked up, and he fixed Sidney with a stare. "Funny. You were the one sounding like a wuss just a minute ago. 'Please don't be dead,' isn't that what you said?"

The words were mocking, but the tone was not. Still, Sidney tried to muster a bit of bravado. "Just 'cause I don't like him doesn't mean I want him to be dead."

The man snorted and raised an eyebrow. "That so? There might be some smarts in the Palmer family tree after all. C'mon. Let's get you two home."

"My parents say we're not supposed to go with strangers," Sidney said, hovering over his brother protectively.

"Bet you're not supposed to be in the woods this late either," the man said, his words punctuated by a distant wolf's howl that made Sidney start in fear. "You can take your chances with me, or with the big bad wolf out there. Your choice, kid."

Sidney considered for a moment, then moved back so the big man could scoop his brother off the ground. The cape from Ray's superhero costume trailed over the man's arm like a red flag as he rose again.

Sidney got to his feet and grabbed the handlebars of the bike. As he set it back on its wheels, he frowned. "Goddammit, Ray!"

"Kids in these parts start cussing early," the strange man observed as he shifted Ray in his arms. "My dad woulda washed my mouth out with soap if I'd'a said that when I was six."

"I'm seven!" Sidney objected.

Another one of those chuckles. "Ah, so you're a big man now, aren't you? What's wrong, anyway?"

"Ray took my bike tonight. And look, the back tire has a flat now." Of course it was the back tire, which was more work to fix.

The man glanced over at the damage, grunted and started walking. "You can make him fix it in the morning. Come on."

Sidney shook his head. "No way. Whenever Ray tries to fix something he makes it worse."

The man stopped walking and let out a harsh laugh. "Some things never change!"

He readjusted his burden and started walking again. Sidney followed, trundling the bike over the uneven ground. Whenever he tripped over a rock or caught his foot on a tree root, he'd mutter an insult at his unconscious brother, and a couple of times let loose with some of the curses he'd heard from the older boys at Little League practice, even if he didn't understand what all of them meant.

After a few minutes of this, a low rumble sounded in the big man's throat. "Pretty harsh things you're sayin' there, kid. You really hate your brother that much?"

Sidney blinked. Did he _hate_ Ray? Not really wanting to examine that thought too closely, he fired back a question. "Do _you_ have a brother?"

The man paused for just a moment, and then grunted again. "I had one. And we sometimes said and did things to each other that were even worse than the stuff you're saying. Difference is, we knew what we were saying." He trudged on, and then said, "Worse, sometimes we meant what we were saying. I wish I could take some of those things back. But he's dead now, so I never can."

He glanced over at Sidney. "Don't be like me, kid."

Sidney had no answer for that.

Eventually they emerged from the woods. The crowds of trick-or-treaters that had been out earlier in the evening were gone, probably all at home making themselves sick on Nerds and Reese's Pieces. The ruins of a smashed jack-o'-lantern were scattered on the street in front of the Palmer house.

They climbed the front steps, and the man gently settled Ray on the porch swing, leaving him sitting up with his head lolling backward. "Sleep tight, Haircut," he said softly.

Sidney frowned. "Mister, who _are_ you?"

The man rose, pulling something from the pocket of his army jacket. "No one you need to remember, kid," he said.

A bright light flashed in Sidney's eyes.

* * *

Mick caught the now-unconscious boy before he could fall onto the porch. "Now who's the wuss?" he chuckled.

He put Sidney onto the swing next to his twin, the make-believe villain and the future hero propping each other up. In the morning, Mom and Pop Palmer would think their sons had snuck out for some late-night trick or treating. The boys would probably get in some trouble, but better than what they'd have gotten if they hadn't returned that baby Dominator.

He took a step back, then smirked a little and pulled his smartphone from his pocket. He snapped a photo of the sleeping boys, then tucked the phone away. "See you in a couple of decades, Haircut," he murmured. "And maybe that brother of yours will remember what I told him."

* * *

TBC...


	2. When Lives Collide

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is also based off the location photos that have been shared online.

* * *

But when the writer steps outside

That room where he is king

He can't control when lives collide

Or what the lovers sing

-The Right Regrets, Smash

* * *

December 2, 2017

Weddings and churches had never been Mick's thing. His only interest in the West-Allen wedding was the free liquor at the reception afterward. But Sara had been quite firm: if he skipped the actual wedding of their friend Barry Allen and showed up only to the reception to drink, she'd order Gideon not to make him any booze for a month.

Not even a light beer.

Even Mick couldn't drink enough to make the buzz last that long.

So here he was, standing outside a damned church with a big sign reading _THE WEDDING OF BARRY ALLEN AND IRIS WEST; CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE ._

At least they were happy. He would be in a couple of hours, once he could hit the bar.

He recognized some of the people milling around, waiting for the okay to take their seats. Robin Hood was talking with Haircut, Pretty and Amaya, while Jax was having an animated conversation with Nerd-boy Ramon and Iris' kid brother…. Wally, wasn't it? They were probably talking about cars, judging by their hand movements. And there was Skirt chatting with some other hot chick in a flashy dress.

No one approached Mick, but for now that suited him just fine. He'd prefer to deal with these heroes once he had a drink or two under his belt.

Sara emerged from the church, went down the steps for a quick word with Skirt and Hottie, then headed over in Mick's direction, all the while scanning the rest of the crowd. "Martin and his family haven't gotten here yet?"

"Nah. But the professor does have two women to wait for, so…"

She gave him a sidelong look. "And just what are you implying, Mick?"

Not wanting to piss off the trained assassin who controlled his liquor access, he tried to think of something Snart would say to disarm a pretty lady. He settled on, "Nothin'. It's always worth the wait."

Sara's expression was now one of disbelieving humor. "Now that sounds like something Leonard Snart would say to try to distract me."

"He always was trying to teach me stuff," Mick admitted with a smirk, admiring the deep blue dress she was wearing. "You know, that was Snart's favorite color."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? I always thought it was black."

"Like his heart?" he returned, his smirk growing.

They shared a chuckle, then Sara said, "His heart wasn't all that black."

"Hmm. Maybe not when it came to you," Mick conceded.

She punched his arm lightly. "Or to you."

Mick nodded slightly. "You know, it's good to hear you talk about him, Sara. You didn't after… you know."

"The Oculus," Sara said with a sigh. "I guess I just never knew what to say. Me and feelings… not a great combination."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Mick chided. "You're better at 'em than me and Snart ever were." When Sara snorted derisively, he said, "I know about all the girl talk with Kendra. And who was it told me and Snart to get our shit together after Chronos, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, look how that went! I didn't mean for you two to have a cage match!"

Mick chuckled. "Maybe not. But it got us talking again." He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me it'll take another cage match for me to get youtalking!"

Sara laughed at that. "Nah! But…" she gave him a devilish look, "Maybe a bar fight?"

"Hey hey hey, no bar fights at this wedding!"

So much for not dealing with heroes. Or their support nerds. Ramon had finished his conversation with Jax and Wally, and was now standing a step above them, glaring. Then, with a quick reassessment of the height situation, he took one more step up so he could look Mick straight in the eye. "You guys promised!"

"Relax, Cisco! We'll be good! Or at least, better than usual," Sara reassured him with a pat on the arm. "Don't you still have best man stuff to do?"

Nerd-boy rolled his eyes. "Joe kicked me out so he could have a 'talk' with Barry. I'm not sure if he's giving him the father of the groom pep talk or the father of the bride shovel talk."

"Or maybe a little of both?" Sara snickered.

"Maybe a lot of both!" The groom himself joined them, looking sharp in his black tux with a white rose pinned to his lapel.

Sara stood on her tiptoes to hug him. "Congratulations, Barry! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Sara," Red replied. He turned to Mick and extended a hand. "Thanks for coming."

Mick looked at the outstretched hand, then shook it. "Still can't believe this," he said.

Red smiled. "I know. It took an awful lot for Iris and me to get here…"

Mick shook his head. "Nah, the part I can't believe is that you two invited me to your wedding."

Red laughed, a light, happy sound. "Mick, you're not the guy who tried to roast me a couple of years ago. Not anymore. And we're all part of the same crew now, right?"

The same crew? Red was… what… calling him a hero?

As Mick tried to process this, Red's expression turned serious. "Hey, I wanted to tell you both something before the reception. Leonard and Laurel were part of our crew too, and I had the caterers set up honorary places for both of them at the reception. Laurel's is at the Team Arrow table, and Leonard's is at yours."

Sentiment had never been Mick's thing. But something unfamiliar welled up inside his chest as he stared at the kid's earnest face. He felt Sara's light touch on his arm.

"Thank you, Barry," she said quietly. "I know you and Leonard weren't always…"

"He thought a lot of you, Red," Mick said suddenly. "And he didn't think much of too many people. Sometimes not even me."

"Now who's not giving themselves enough credit?" Sara asked gently.

"Just being honest," Mick said.

Ramon snorted. "You, honest?"

Mick grinned at him. "Buy me a couple drinks later and you'll see how honest I can be, Nerd-boy. In vino veritas , after all."

"Mr. Rory is speaking Latin? Have we run into another anachronism?"

Mick turned to see the Professor approaching with his wife on one arm and his very pregnant daughter on the other. Red greeted them warmly.

"I'm so glad you could make it!"

Lily giggled and laid a hand on her belly. "It's cutting it close, but I promise not to go into labor and steal your thunder on your big day!"

The kid chuckled. "They've started seating folks, so you can get off your feet," he said, getting a murmured, "Oh, thank goodness!" from Lily. Then Red glanced around. "I thought we were finally going to meet your mysterious fiancé today?"

"He's parking the car," Lily said, while Martin said, "Ah, about that-"

"RAYMOND? WHAT THE HELL?" The angry shout was followed by the distinctive, meaty sound of a fist hitting a face. They whirled to see Pretty and Robin Hood holding Haircut back from… Haircut?

Mick shook his head. "I haven't been drinking, but I'm seeing double!"

"Doppelgänger?" Red asked Nerd-boy, who shook his head.

"The breach detector hasn't gone off," he said as they reached the others.

"So what's going on here?" Red asked.

"Ray, are you okay?" Sara asked.

Haircut nodded as he rubbed his jaw. "Just a little misunderstanding between me and my brother."

So this was Sidney Palmer, all grown up. Mick had forgotten just how identical the boys had been. But the scorn in Sidney's voice - he hadn't forgotten that.

" Misunderstanding ? You let me think you were dead ! For years !" Sidney was straining to break free from Robin Hood's grip, until Lily Stein ran up and put her hands on his chest.

"Stop it!" she ordered.

"Lily, you don't have to get in the middle of this," Haircut said.

She turned toward him, keeping one hand on Sidney's chest. "Yes, I do, Ray. Sidney is my fiancé."

A stunned silence fell over the group. Finally Nerd-boy said, "Ohhhh-kay! This is starting to feel like an episode of Dynasty ! Anyone want to start explaining…"

A loud boom from inside the church interrupted him.

"I think the explanations will have to wait," Red said.

He sped into the church just as smoke began pouring out.


	3. Mistakes We've Made

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So, my original idea seems to be pretty well jossed, but that's OK. We're completely AU post-LoT 3x03 now.

For the most part, I'm trying to deal with the spaces in between the main action based on the location photos released during filming, and the information we knew up to that point about the crossover. I am not using anything from the actual promotional videos and photos that have been released since I started this fic.

Many thanks to Jael for allowing me to borrow her idea from her wonderful story "The Badge." If you haven't read it yet, you should.

* * *

 _And so he hides behind his words_

 _The one place he belongs_

 _And in black and white_

 _He can rewrite the wrongs_

 _Where he can find the strength to say_

 _What those he loves should hear_

 _And just erase mistakes he's made_

 _Then make them disappear_

-"The Right Regrets," Smash

* * *

By rights, Mick should have been hammered by now. Soused, sozzled, three sheets to the wind. After all, it's what he'd come for.

But no. Somebody had to go blow a hole into the church where Red and his girlfriend were supposed to get married. No church, no wedding. No wedding, no reception.

No reception, no booze.

Dammit.

Instead of drinking, he and most of the heroes were in STAR Labs, waiting for the team leaders and the resident nerds to finish looking at the remnants of the machine that had rumbled through the hole in the church.

Waiting for answers.

And there was no booze here to pass the time either.

Dammit.

He'd say there was entertainment, with Haircut and his twin going at it. But after dealing with the younger editions of the Palmer boys, Mick wasn't too enthusiastic about seeing the grownup versions sniping at each other.

It looked like the neuralyzer had really done its job; Sidney didn't seem to remember a damned thing Mick had told him all those years ago. And this time, Mick was pretty sure Sidney understood everything he was saying to his twin.

"I don't believe… no, scratch that. I _do_ believe you could be such a self-centered bastard!" Sidney hissed.

"Hey! Insult me all you want, but don't you go insulting our mother!" Haircut countered.

"Don't even go there! You lost that right when you couldn't manage to be there when she was dying!" Sidney snarled. "Off in your own world, just like Dad!"

Haircut's shoulders slumped, but there was still some heat in his response. "You know why…"

" _ENOUGH!_ " Lily Stein stepped between the brothers. "This has been going on for years and you two are not going to settle it right now. Not with everything else going on. So I'm declaring a cease-fire, starting now."

"I would listen to her if I were you," Stein advised.

"But he…"

"But he…"

Lily shut the brothers down with a glare and a raised index finger. "Don't piss off the pregnant lady!"

Mick barked out a laugh. "I like you! You're tough!"

Lily flashed him a smirk. "Not bad for a fake person, huh?"

"But Lily-" Haircut said, holding his hands up in an appeasing motion when she raised that threatening finger again, getting a nod from her in return before asking, "Why didn't you tell Sidney that I was still alive?"

Lily sighed as she sank back into the chair where she'd been sitting before, rubbing her back with a little bit of a grimace. "You're a time traveler, Ray. When Sidney told me you'd died, I wasn't sure where it had happened in your timelines. It's one of the things I was hoping Dad could help me straighten out, but we haven't had time."

Haircut turned to Stein then. "And Martin, why didn't _you_ tell me Lily was engaged to my brother?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't know until I finally actually met him today," Stein admitted. "He was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses in all the photos Lily showed us from Italy, and he's only just come back from there."

"I thought it was better to explain it all in person," Lily said. "Besides, Sidney doesn't want his picture online."

Sidney leaned back against the desk next to Lily. "I've got enough trouble with people mistaking me for my _famous_ identical twin," he said with some derision. "I don't need my photos all over the internet too."

Stein spread his hands. "And Sidney doesn't share your last name, Raymond, so there was nothing to alert me to the familial ties."

Haircut turned and stared at his twin. "Wait. Sidney, you changed your name?"

"'Yeah. 'Palmer' never did a damned thing for me except get me trailed by paparazzi when you were running your tech company, and then legal problems after you supposedly blew yourself up," Sidney said. "I changed it to mom's maiden name just before I met Lily."

"Sidney _Brice_ ," Haircut said in that tone he used when he was putting things together. "That explains why-"

He was interrupted by the arrival of Sara and the others from the church. Tablet in hand, Nerd-boy Ramon strode to the monitor next to Lily. "Okay, so I was able to grab the code from our wedding crasher. Let's take a look."

He began tapping away at the keyboard, the rest of the brainiacs gathered around him. Sara sidled up to Mick and gave him a little shrug; with nothing to burn or punch, they were both at loose ends.

"Wait a minute," Ramon said slowly, his frantic typing slowing to a halt.. "Waaaiiiit a minute! Barry, take a look at this."

He pushed a button, and one of the big screens on the wall lit up with a collection of symbols unlike anything Mick had ever seen before. Ramon asked, "Do you recognize this?"

Red shook his head. "Should I?"

His girlfriend touched his arm. "Barry, when we first pulled you from the speed force you were speaking gibberish and drawing these symbols over everything you could reach."

The kid looked completely confused. "I was?"

"So can you translate it?" Robin Hood asked.

Ramon shook his head. "All our computer could come up with was, 'This house is bitchin'."

"Not without booze, it ain't," Mick interjected, grunting when Sara elbowed him.

Ponytail shot him a withering look and said, "Let me give it a try."

As she took the keyboard from Ramon, there was a _whooshing_ sound in the entrance. "That won't be necessary, Miss Smoak."

Rip Hunter strode in from one of his Time Bureau portals, which slid shut with another _whoosh_.

And he wasn't alone.

" _Snart?"_ The name came out as a surprised exclamation from Red and Ramon, as a disbelieving whisper from Mick.

"Crook," Sara said quietly beside him, no surprise in her tone at all.

As if she'd been expecting this.

Snart nodded at her and said, "You didn't have to come get me after all."

Mick shook his head. It _couldn't_ be. Snart was dead. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, then focused on the spot next to Rip.

Snart was still standing there. "Mick…"

Mick hit himself on the side of his head, trying to dislodge this newest hallucination.

"Mick, stop," the hallucination said, stepping toward him as Mick hit himself again. " _Mick!"_

The hallucination turned out to have one hell of a firm grip, grabbing Mick's arm before he could land a third blow. "Stop it, Mick! It's me!"

"It's him, Mick," Sara said. "Really. You're not imagining it. It's _our_ Leonard."

Mick glanced over at her and saw the honesty in her eyes. Then he looked back into the blue eyes of the man still holding onto his arm. "It's really you?"

Leonard nodded. "It's really me, my old friend. Please forgive me," he said quietly, without any trace of his trademark drawl. The voice that always let Mick know he was being sincere. "I'm sorry, Mick. For… everything. I'm sorry I hit you back at the Oculus. I'm sorry I had to stay away when Rip got me back."

Those words… that tone. Mick relaxed. "It's _really_ you."

Leonard released his arm. "Yeah, partner, it's me."

"You're alive."

Leonard half-chuckled. "Yeah."

"The Englishman rescued you. When?"

Leonard looked up at the ceiling, thinking, then answered, "A bit more than a year ago for me. Rip's had me jumping around in time since then, so I'm not sure but I think it's still a bit less than a year for you?" He glanced over at Rip, who nodded in confirmation.

"You've been back that long but you never told me-"

"I wanted to tell you-" Leonard began.

" _We_ wanted to tell you," Sara corrected, laying a hand on Leonard's arm. When Mick frowned at her, she said, "I've known since just before we stole the Waverider back. Leonard just showed up at my place one night."

Pretty snapped his fingers. "Wait a sec… _Snart's_ the guy you lifted that security badge from?" His eyes grew big. "Cap, you mean you and Snart-"

"So why couldn't you tell me?" Mick interrupted in a low voice.

The Englishman stepped forward and answered, "Because _I_ said they couldn't, Mr. Rory. Your ignorance was vital-"

He didn't get the chance to explain further, because Mick interrupted him with a good right hook. "Don't call me stupid!" he growled.

Regaining his balance, Rip rubbed at his jaw. "I wasn't calling you stupid, Mr. Rory. I meant that we needed to keep you unaware of Mr. Snart's rescue. There were things that you and he both needed to accomplish before you could be reunited. I think your experience as Chronos taught you enough about maintaining integrity of events."

Mick grunted. "Yeah. It did," he admitted, not happy to be reminded of what he once was. "That's why I only hit you once."

Rip snorted, then gave him a little nod of acceptance. Mick turned to Leonard, his hands clenching into fists. "I told you Star City was the last time you'd ever hit me."

Leonard nodded. "You did."

"But at the Oculus you hit me anyway."

Another nod. "I did." Leonard stepped away from Sara and spread his hands. "I owe you one, partner, so go right ahead."

Mick looked down, trembling with all the… _feelings_ running through him. He looked back up at Leonard, took a step forward…

And unclenched his hands to grab his oldest friend for a fierce hug, murmuring over and over, "I don't believe it. I don't believe it."

* * *

Ray blinked a few times as he watched the reunion of the Waverider's two criminals. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he turned to his twin. "Uh, Sidney, listen…"

He paused as Sidney regarded him warily, then plowed on, "I know I've made mistakes, and I can't change the past-"

"Thought you were a time traveler," Sidney interrupted. But there was no bitterness in his tone, and he waved a hand. "No, I get it, Ray. But what's done is done."

"What's done is done," Ray echoed. "But Lily… and the baby… it's a new beginning for you. And maybe… maybe it can be a new beginning for me and you? That is… if you want."

Still with a wary expression, Sidney lifted his chin and stared at him for a long moment. Then one corner of his mouth turned up in the half-smile Ray remembered so well. "Can't promise I won't bring up any blasts from the past, but… I'm willing to give it a shot," he said, holding out a hand.

Ray shook it and tried to draw his brother in for a hug, but Sidney hung back, holding up his free hand and shaking his head a little. "One step at a time, Ray."

Releasing Sidney's hand, Ray nodded. "Sure, I get it." He glanced down at Lily, who'd been watching them both closely from her chair. "Okay if I say 'welcome to the family?'"

She and Sidney both nodded, and Ray pulled Lily up from her seat for a hug. She hugged back for a moment, then gasped.

"Too tight?" Ray asked, trying to pull back.

Lily held onto his arms, grimacing once again. "No, it wasn't you." She huffed out a breath, then another, then looked at Sidney with wide eyes. "Uh… I think it's time."


	4. A Hero, Not A Louse

I know it has been MANY months since I've updated this; the chapter was mostly written but was missing something, and I needed to take time away from it to be able to figure it out.

We are *very* far from the canon established in the crossover at this point.

Many thanks to Jael for the beta.

* * *

 _Where he can change the plot_

 _So he's a hero, not a louse_

-"The Right Regrets," Smash

A planet full of Nazis.

Theoretically, of course, Stein knew it had always been possible. Neither history nor the multiverse theory cared about good or evil. Every world was the result of choices made by the people in it, and nothing in science dictated that those choices would always be for the good.

"Hey, Gray, get philosophical on your own time!"

Jefferson's scolding brought Stein's attention back to Firestorm's present predicament: Fighting their way through these Nazi bastards. The team had already rescued Supergirl, but she was more Kara Danvers than Girl of Steel at the moment thanks to the red sun rays the Nazis had exposed her to.

They needed to get to the breach generator.

"Yeah, I know, but it's just a little too hot out here!" Jefferson responded to that thought.

"Let me cool things down a bit for you!" There was a familiar whine, and a sudden end to the gunfire that had kept Firestorm pinned behind a crate. Leonard Snart came around the corner and gave them a hand up. "I'd say sorry about the pun, but I'm really not," he said.

"Get us outta here and you can crack all the puns you want!" Jefferson told him, ready to start for the breach generator.

But they needed to get to that battery too… Jefferson paused at Stein's train of thought. "Gray, you want to split up?"

It was the only way. Thought became deed a second later. "Jefferson, you hotwire the battery while I handle the console. Mr. Snart, we need you to cover us."

Snart nodded and primed his cold gun again. The three men dashed across the floor. Stein didn't have to look to know when Jefferson had reached the battery and done his work. That left him free to focus on the console's controls-

He felt the chill of the cold gun's beam behind his back, and heard something crash and shatter behind him. He turned to see the icy remains of another Nazi shooter scattered across the floor, Snart looking at the mess in satisfaction before meeting his eyes.

"You froze him!" Stein exclaimed. But unlike that day in Salvation so long ago, there was admiration rather than admonition in his tone. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if Snart hadn't been there.

"You're welcome," Snart told him with a smirk that said he remembered that day too. "Get back with your partner so we can get everybody out of here."

Stein nodded and hit the switch to open the breach, then turned to re-merge with Jefferson. Firestorm started throwing blasts of fire while Snart fired more blasts of ice, clearing a path for their friends and their Earth-X ally.

"Come on, people!" Snart shouted. "Time to blow this joint!"

* * *

Sidney breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his brother and Firestorm among the crowd of rescuers rushing through the breach. That relief was echoed by the oddly familiar big man with the weird gun, who'd been left to guard STAR Labs during the rescue. He lowered his weapon while Cisco slammed his hand down on the extrapolator to close the wormhole to Earth-X. It looked like everyone was-

No. Everyone was _not_ okay. The blonde who looked like his cousin - Kara, wasn't it? - was too pale, wearing a hospital gown and having trouble standing on her own two feet, supported by her sister and that other Ray from the other Earth. The other blonde in white looked hurt and angry, storming out of the room. The tall man in the parka exchanged a somber look with the big man, then followed her out.

Firestorm separated into Jax and Sidney's future father-in-law, while Ray took off the helmet of his ATOM suit. Sidney gasped a little at the expression on Ray's face. He couldn't remember ever seeing his twin look so grim; an expression matched by the Flash and the Green Arrow even as they were welcomed back by their girlfriends.

Ray tossed a flash drive to Harry. "Got a data dump from your doppelgänger's lab computer. Maybe there's something useful there," he said before turning to Sidney. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Lily and Ronnie?"

Sidney held up his hands in a reassuring gesture. "They're fine and safe in the hospital. Your Director Hunter and some of your teammates are watching over them."

When Ray gave him a doubtful look, Sidney said, "I may not have four PhDs like you, Ray, but I _am_ a specialist in electromagnetics. I can do more to protect my family by helping here at STAR Labs than I can hovering over them."

The Green Arrow pushed back his hood and pulled off his mask. "We're going to need all the help we can get," he said. He looked at Cisco and Harry. "How long can you keep them off our Earth with that thing?"

The two men looked at each other, and after a brief murmured exchange that mostly seemed to be the two of them talking over each other, Cisco said, "Probably about three hours."

Harry added, "That's all the power we've got for it, even with the Dominator tech connected. Once it gives way…" He spread his hands helplessly.

"There's gotta be something we can do," the Flash said, shoving his own cowl back. "Some way to keep them off our Earth."

"And off every other Earth, too," Kara added as her sister helped her settle into a chair. "There are dimensions that wouldn't be able to resist them."

"We can barely do it ourselves," Iris said.

"Can't we just blow up their breach generator?" Jax asked.

The other Earth's Ray shook his head. "Even if we did, they'd just build another one. The Reich has plans stored in secure locations around the world."

Cisco rubbed his hands over his face. "We need to find a way to keep them from being able to open breaches."

"Bottle them up in their own dimension," Martin nodded.

Sidney snapped his fingers. "Martin, you're a genius! All we need is a bottle!"

* * *

Sara strode quickly down the corridor, her thoughts a jumble of horror and anger… and sadness and guilt. The corridor ended at an open doorway to a room with a couple of bare hospital beds. Leonard followed her in and closed the door behind them while she stared down at the floor, breathing deeply, trying to stop the roiling of her mind.

He didn't say anything, didn't reach out for her, knowing her well enough to let her process her feelings.

To let her get the bloodlust raging through her body back under control.

Finally, in a thick voice, she said, "I haven't seen or talked to my father in… months. Even before we stole the Waverider back, I just… I couldn't face him, Len."

She turned to look at him, feeling tears gather. "I couldn't face him knowing that I'd had a chance to bring Laurel back with the Spear but I didn't do it. And now, seeing… _that_ … with his face, his voice…"

"It wasn't him, Sara," Leonard said softly.

"I know that. In my head, I know it. But…" She sighed. "After the Gambit, before I went back to Star City, I tried so hard to hold on to my dad's voice, to remember him saying he loved me. And now, all I can hear is that same voice calling me a perversion and ordering his soldiers to kill us."

She stepped closer to him, laying a hand over his heart and leaning her head against his chest as his arms went around her. "I don't know if I can face him again," she whispered.

Leonard pressed his lips to the top of her head. After a minute he asked quietly, "Is it any worse than dealing with that past version of me with… what did Nate call it? The Legion of Doom?"

Shocked, she drew back and met his eyes. "You know about that?"

He nodded. "Rip told me about it after you took the Waverider back. _All_ about it, Sara. I wasn't going to bring it up now, but…" He looked up, as if searching for words, then dropped his eyes to meet hers again. "If you could deal with the asshole I used to be without killing me, I think you've got it in you to face the asshole wearing your dad's face."

He bent his head lower, to press his forehead against her hairline. "And you won't have to do it alone," he murmured.

She nodded. He raised his head just a little, so she could tilt her face up to his. He started to dip down-

" _Uh, attention everybody?"_ Cisco's voice echoed from the intercom. " _Can everyone please come to the Cortex? We have a plan."_

Leonard sighed and settled for a much quicker, more chaste kiss than he'd planned. "Let's go see what our gang of geniuses has come up with."

The Cortex was packed when they arrived a few minutes later. Sidney stood at the center of the room, next to a glass board.

"I think we're all here now," Barry said. "What have you got?"

"How do we keep these Nazis off our world?" Oliver asked.

"And off any other world?" Felicity added, getting a nod from Kara.

"Martin made a brilliant suggestion: A bottle. Let me explain," Sidney said, picking up a pen. He started to draw on the glass. "Harry says the breaches they're using to get here are just doors and hallways from one dimension to the next."

He drew two circles, labeling one with the number "1" and the other with an "X," then drawing a line connecting the two. "But electromagnetic energy has to be manipulated to keep the doorway stable, otherwise the passageway doesn't work," he said, adding a squiggle on top of the connecting line.

"Right," Cisco said. "That's what Gypsy and I do when we vibe."

Sidney smiled slightly. "Right. And it's how Earth-X's breach generator works, too. But if we permanently destabilize the doorway on the Earth-X side, that energy can't be manipulated."

"So how do we do that?" Jax asked.

"Well, every planet has a magnetic field, right?" Sidney said.

"If you say so," Oliver said with a shrug, science never having been his strong suit.

"And that magnetic field acts as a protective bubble to keep our atmosphere from getting blasted away by solar winds," Sidney continued.

Martin stepped closer to the board. "You're suggesting that we somehow change Earth-X's magnetic field, so it's not just a bubble for the atmosphere…"

"It's a bottle for the dimensional energy, with no way to any other Earth," Felicity finished.

"Exactly," Sidney said, pointing at her. "We lock them up…"

"And throw away the key!" Cisco exclaimed. "Brilliant! Except… how exactly are we gonna do that?"

"And can you do it without blasting the atmosphere off of my home?" the Ray from Earth-X asked sharply. "There are millions of innocents on Earth-X! Are you going to sacrifice them to save yourselves?"

Sidney shook his head. "No, no. We're not blasting away anybody's atmosphere. The plan is to disrupt Earth-X's planetary core just a little bit, so it will destabilize that magnetic field and make it impossible to open breaches to other dimensions," he said, drawing a thick circle around the Earth-X circle. "It'll be like wrapping an Iron Curtain around Earth-X. Without the actual iron."

The Earth-X freedom fighter nodded. "It would cut us off, but that would also keep them from pulling in resources from other dimensions. No more Overgirls or evil speedsters dropping in from other worlds," he said. "It would level the playing field."

"So, Sidney, how are we going to disrupt Earth-X's core 'just a little bit?'" Stein asked, making air quotes.

Sidney set down his pen. "That's where my work in Italy comes in, Martin. I think Lily told you I was studying electromagnetism in volcanoes?"

Stein nodded. "She said you were trying to come up with a way to keep Mount Vesuvius from erupting again."

"Yes. That could wipe out Naples, which would be a tragedy for pizza lovers everywhere," Sidney said. He paused and looked around the room, then shrugged. "Guess it's not the right time for that joke."

"How about you get to the part where this can block off the bad guys from Earth-X?" Leonard drawled.

"Okay, okay," Sidney replied. "I've been trying to create a variation of the Markov device."

"You mean the thing that leveled the Glades?" Oliver growled.

Sidney nodded. "Yes. I know it was a horrible device used for horrible things," he admitted, putting his hands up up a conciliatory gesture. "But if you've ever read anything on seismology then you know there was some good science behind it."

"Liiike... how small quakes can relieve pressure on fault lines," Felicity said.

Sidney pointed at her again. "Two for two, Ms. Smoak! I _told_ the Palmer Tech board they should've kept you on, but I was outvoted. Anyway, I've been working on a new version of the Markov device that can manipulate the electromagnetic energies of fault lines and produce those small quakes."

"And have you been able to?"

Sidney's shoulders sank a little at his brother's question. "Not so far. I've been able to reduce the device's seismic impact somewhat, but it's still a bit too powerful for that use. Like lighting a candle with a flamethrower."

Mick let out a huff at that comparison. "So what good is it, then?"

"It's too strong for fault lines near the surface, but it should be just right for impacting a planetary core," Sidney said.

"It all sounds like a great theory," Oliver said. "But we don't _have_ a Markov device."

"Um, that's not entirely accurate," Cisco said, drawing stares from everyone but Sidney.

" _You_ have a Markov device?" Sara asked in surprise.

"Well, actually… yes. We do," he answered. "Sara, your dad sent it over to us last year after the attack on Star City's evidence storage facility. It's the one that he deactivated-"

"Before Merlyn's backup device went off," Felicity concluded. "Sidney, will that work?"

"I'd need to make some adjustments," Sidney said. He motioned toward his brother, Cisco and Harry. "I'll need your help for that. But once we're finished... it has to be set off inside Earth-X. And I mean inside as in near the core."

Leonard frowned. "Meaning what? Someone has to take a dive into a volcano?"

"Firestorm can do that," Jax said, but Stein seemed hesitant.

Sidney shook his head. "You're not fast enough. You'd be trapped on Earth-X. Sorry, Martin, but I don't want to have to explain to your daughter why her father isn't coming home."

"Well, if it's a matter of speed, I can get it onto Earth-X and get back before the 'iron curtain' comes down," Barry said.

Iris opened her mouth to protest, but Earth-X's Ray beat her to it. "No. It's my world. It's _my_ job. I'll get it where it needs to go. But I'm going to need all of you to keep the Reichsmen busy and off my back."

"We can do that," Oliver said. "Barry, Sara, let's get to work on a strategy."

Cisco clapped his hands together. "All right then! Science squad, to my workshop!"

* * *

" _There are too many of them!"_

" _Arrow, watch your six!"_

" _Flash, get those civilians out of there!"_

Sidney exchanged a wide-eyed look with Harry as they listened to the battle over the comms. The two men were on the roof of STAR Labs, guarding the wireless power generator that was transmitting a beam of energy from the Dominator tech through the re-opened breach to Earth-X, to the Markov device The Ray was even now carrying toward that world's core. Sidney could feel the beam's vibration and wasn't sure whether he should be more impressed by its deadly power or by The Ray's immunity to it.

" _Mick, Leonard, could use a little help here!"_

" _Frost, over there!"_

" _Take that, you Nazi pigs!"_

There was a whooshing sound from the sky. Something hit the already-broken tower, and Sidney ducked as debris flew. When the dust cleared, he could see two figures shooting skyward again: Supergirl, locked in battle with her Nazi counterpart.

And Harry was down, bleeding from a wound to his head. Sidney checked him and sighed in relief to find the older man was breathing, though unconscious.

Then his blood froze at a declaration from The Ray.

" _Guys, something's wrong! The Markov device is dead!"_

Sidney looked over at the generator. Some of the debris had fallen into the transmitter's parabolic antenna, and the power beam had stopped. "The transmitter is obstructed! I'll get it clear!"

" _Sidney, you can't touch that thing! There's too much power-"_

Another voice interrupted his twin's objection. " _They're moving in on the hospital!"_

" _They're trying to spread us out, give us too many targets to protect!"_

Sidney squared his shoulders and stepped closer to the antenna. "Raymond," he said clearly. "I need you to protect Lily and Ronnie. Tell them I love them."

" _Sidney!"_

"I love you too, Ray."

Sidney took a deep breath - and reached.

* * *

" _Sidney!"_

The anguished cry echoed through the comms as the beam of energy shot back up from the roof of STAR Labs.

" _Got it!"_ came The Ray's cry, just before the breach folded in on itself. A second later, there was a burst of light far above the city - the Nazi Supergirl exploding from an overdose of solar energy. And a second after that, the remains of the Earth-X army collapsed like puppets whose strings had been cut, thanks to the sonic amplifier set off at STAR Labs.

Earth-X was bottled up, Overgirl was gone, the Nazis were defeated. Everything had gone according to plan.

Well, almost everything. Mick sat down heavily as they all listened to Ray Palmer over the comms.

" _Sidney? Sidney? Please don't be dead."_

Mick sighed at the echo of the past and covered his face with his hands.

" _Please don't be dead!"_

* * *

 _And when the curtain falls_

 _There's not a dry eye in the house_


End file.
